


Little Moments

by someofthissomeofthat11011



Category: Simon vs. the Homo Sapiens Agenda - Becky Albertalli
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-04-29
Updated: 2018-04-29
Packaged: 2019-04-29 16:26:06
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 8,970
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14476593
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/someofthissomeofthat11011/pseuds/someofthissomeofthat11011
Summary: Simon and Bram are at senior prom and as the song “Little Moments” comes on, they can’t help but reflect on all the little moments that brought them to where they are. Loosely incorporates some stuff that happened in the book and the movie, but I took A LOT of artistic freedom with this. Martin is not in this because… well because screw Martin that’s why.





	Little Moments

 

“May I have this dance?” Bram asks, bowing low.

“You’re so dramatic,” Simon says, rolling his eyes. “But yes. I’d be honored.” He takes Bram’s hand and they go out to the dance floor. They’d been together too long for people to stare and pretty soon, they completely forget that they are surrounded by people. As the song fades, a slow country song came on.

Bram looks up. “I know this song.”

“Who doesn’t? You don’t need to be obsessed with country music to recognize Brad Paisley.”

Bram pulls Simon close to him. “It seems fitting for us,” he says after a minute.

“What do you mean?” Simon asks confused.

“This is all about little moments and never forgetting that it’s the little things that make big experiences so special,” Bram says.

“Hmmm… We do have a lot of those,” Simon agrees. “And I guess some of the things we thought were really big at the time are little moments that we’ll remember forever. What was your favorite?”

“That’s a hard one.” Bram furrows his eyebrow as he thinks back over the time they’d been together. “I think that it’s probably when it all started. My post and your email to me.”

 

**_Do you ever feel like life is like a masquerade ball, except instead of wearing masks, we’re hiding behind this fake persona we’ve created. Instead of showing ourselves to the world, we project a person that we hope the world won’t reject. Hiding behind that person is a medley of ups and downs, of securities and insecurities, and of the hope that we can be ourselves constantly being overshadowed by the fear of being discovered. It takes us on a roller coaster that is constantly going up and down. That’s how I feel, except I can’t seem to find my way off the ride. I am stuck in this perpetual fluctuation of feeling on top of the world and feeling like I’ve hit rock bottom, because I can never truly be myself. Everyday is like this. Because no one knows I’m gay._ **

**_-Blue_ **

_Blue,_

_I saw your post and I had to reach out to you. You put into words something that I could only feel and not express. I know exactly what you mean about feeling like we’re at a masquerade ball, except instead of masks, we hide behind this persona we’ve constructed. I feel like that everyday, like I have to hide who I am or my life will be over._

_I wish I could show people who I really am, because at the end of the day, am I all that different from them? I have some really great friends, a family that I’m weirdly close with, and I do things that every other teenager does._

_But I’m just like you. I have one huge-ass secret._

_Jacques_

 

**_Jacques,_ **

**_A secret, huh? Is it the same as mine?_ **

 

“I think that counts as a big moment,” Simon argues. “Though that is one of my favorites. You waited a week to respond to my email and I was convinced I had somehow made a colossal mistake.”

“Well, I’m glad you had the courage to reach out and that I eventually responded. I wouldn’t want it any other way,” Bram says sappily. “What’s your favorite?”

“Nuh uh. You didn’t pick a little moment yet,” Simon argues.

“Well, after that email exchange, my favorite memory is… probably when we decided to meet each other,” Bram says. “That was also probably the scariest moment of my life.”

 

_Blue,_

_I’ve been thinking about this for a long, long time. I want to meet you. I can’t take this anymore. I need to know who you are like I need oxygen to breathe - that may be dramatic, but that makes it no less true. We’ve been talking for six months and I am dying to know who I’m bearing my soul to. I feel like we’re already in a real relationship, but it’s taken place entirely in the cyberworld._

_I really hope you’ll consider meeting me, because I don’t know if it’s possible to fall in love over email, but I would really like to find out._

_Love, Jacques_

 

**_Jacques,_ **

**_I didn’t think I would be ready for that, but hearing what you said really did something to me. I feel the same way. Your emails have been my lifeline for six months and... I’m ready for you to be my lifeline._ **

**_I do think it’s possible to fall in love over email, so yes. I will meet you. See you tomorrow._ **

**_Love, Blue_ **

_Blue,_

_Waffle House. 10pm._

_Love, Jacques_

_Simon was sitting in a booth, thrumming his fingers on the table. He was fairly sure that Blue would walk through the door any moment, but at the same time, he was terrified that he may have changed his mind. This was a huge step for them and maybe Blue would think it was too big._

_He even admitted in his email that he didn’t think he would be ready for this._

_Simon glanced at his watch every ten seconds and groaned when more time hadn’t passed. He arrived at Waffle House twenty minutes early and never anticipated how slowly time could move._

_He was pretty sure the waitress thought he was being stood up and he couldn’t find his voice to tell her he had been early._

_Simon rested his head in his arms and accepted that time was going to continue moving at an excruciatingly slow pace._

_Five minutes before ten, as Simon was watching the second hand move like the hour hand, someone slipped into the booth across from him. He stared down at the table for a moment, gathering his strength. Then he looked up into the brown eyes of Bram Greenfeld._

_Simon knew he should say something, but he was still trying to wrap his head around the fact that Bram Greenfeld was sitting across from him which meant Bram Greenfeld was Blue. Simon had never considered that Bram could be Blue, mostly because he had been convinced that Bram was straight. Like, if he had to choose a single person in the school that was straight, he would have guessed Bram, because he would have considered that a sure thing._

_“Blue,” he breathed out. He knew Bram heard him because he nodded. “It’s you.” Bram nodded again. “Finally!”_

_Bram chuckled. “Finally,” he agreed. His heart was so full of happiness and relief. He thought this was going to be a really frightening and life-changing moment. While he was still convinced about the life-changing part, now that he saw Simon, nothing seemed all that scary. He found Simon’s hand under the table and squeezed it. They would have to have a long talk, but for a moment, they let it sink in that they had found each other._

 

“Still not a little moment,” Simon tries to grumble. He has a big smile on his face, so he isn’t successful.

Bram has a goofy smile on his face. “If I recall neither of us ordered more than something to drink and our waitress was huffy about it the whole two hours we were there.”

“There were two other tables that had people. It’s not like we were taking away her business. And she was the only waitress so she wasn’t waiting for us so she could go home,” Simon points out. He doesn’t have it in him to feel guilty about that when it is such a great memory for him.

“I’m having a lot of fun with this. What’s your favorite?” Bram asks.

“You haven’t given me an adequate moment yet,” Simon protests. Bram smiles at him. His smile is the strangest blend of confidence and shyness. It’s the kind of smile that makes Simon feel like he’s made up of warm chocolate and marshmallow. “Fine.” He tries to sound grumpy, but he’s still reeling from Bram’s smile. It’s really cheating, Simon muses. Bram knows exactly what that smile does to him. “But I’m going with a big moment, since all of yours have been big. Do not say ‘that’s what she said’,” Simon warns.

“We’re not in middle school anymore,” Bram says rolling his eyes. “And don’t try to get out of this. What’s your favorite?”

“Our first kiss,” Simon supplies without hesitation.

“Not our first date?” Bram questions.

“Which came first?” Simon retorts.

 

_The day after they met, they found themselves being roped into going to a small amusement park. Nick had guilted Simon into it and Garrett had guilted Bram into it. Once they realized they both were going, they actually started to look forward to it._

_“We need to get like two minutes alone at some point,” Simon whispered to Bram a little after lunch when they were washing their hands._

_“Let’s skip the tilt-a-whirl,” Bram whispered back. “I don’t think I can bear the thought of that anyway. I’m nauseated just thinking about it.”_

_“After the fried Oreo incident you told me about this morning, I don’t think I can blame you. Let’s hit the ferris wheel when they go to the tilt-a-whirl,” Simon suggested._

_“Sure. I’d love to ‘hit’ the ferris wheel,” Bram teased._

_Simon rolled his eyes. “Very cute.” He tried to sound sarcastic, but he did think Bram was really cute, so his voice ended up sounding a little too sincere. This made Bram blush._

_“We can’t pretend to be in the bathroom forever. They’ll get suspicious,” Bram diverted._

_They joined their friends and they went on ride after ride. The amusement park wasn’t anything special. It had a handful of roller coasters, none of which were big or long. There were a few water rides and several rides like the tilt-a-whirl or the ferris wheel. It wasn’t anything special, but it was affordable, fun, and close to Atlanta so it was packed with people._

_After they ride the ‘Drop of Terror’, a ride that rose and dropped and rose and dropped, Nick suggested the tilt-a-whirl. Bram point blank refused to entertain the possibility of going on it and Simon said he felt nauseated after all the dropping that just happened._

_“We’ll go on the ferris wheel and then we’ll meet you for dinner,” Simon told them. The line for the tilt-a-whirl was at the 90 minute post and Simon was excited for that much time with Bram. The sun was setting so all the lights on the rides are starting to turn on. It was a fun sight to watch roller coaster carts zoom by in a blur of blue, green, and red lights. The ferris wheel was lit up like a Christmas tree. The lights were such a bright white they looked like they had a bluish tinge if Simon stared at them too long. It was taller than Simon had originally thought it was. So much so that in the dimming light, he couldn’t see the people at the top._

_He felt butterflies in his stomach as he realized that they would have complete privacy. The line was surprisingly short at the ferris wheel. Usually once it got dark, the line for the ferris wheel stretched to the entrance of the park. Within fifteen minutes, they were shuffling into one of the cars of the ferris wheel. They sat as far from each other as possible until they were in the air. Then Bram scooted closer to Simon and put his arm around his shoulders. Simon rested his head on Bram’s chest._

_They stopped four times before they reached the top. They were at the very, very top and Simon knew that no one could see them._

_He pulled away from Bram so that he was facing him. They seemed to have an entire conversation with their eyes before they met halfway in a kiss. It took a little while for them to figure out the kiss. They didn’t know what to do with their hands and they bumped noses at first. They were both a little sweaty from walking around a crowded amusement park all day and Simon thought his breath must smell like cheese fries. Despite that, it was perfect. So perfect they weren’t aware when the ride jolted and began to move again. When they part, they were almost back to the ground._

_They quickly separated as they neared the ground. They got to go three rotations around the ferris wheel, so Simon wasn’t surprised when they passed the start and idled a couple of feet from the ground as another car unloaded and reloaded._

_Once they were halfway up, they were back in each other’s arms. They didn’t know kissing could feel like this. It made them want to get closer. When they were heading back down, they separated again. This time they actually managed to talk to each other._

_“Wow,” Simon said. “We should never do anything but kiss.”_

_“I don’t know,” Bram smiled. He was still smiling goofily and he thinks it’s impossible that no one noticed how flustered they were. “I would kind of like to go on a date with you.”_

_“A date,” Simon echoed. He looked nervous. “Hmmm… wow… a date.”_

_Bram frowned as he studied Simon. “We don’t have to. I just thought it would be nice to do something official,” Bram explained._

_“It’s not that I don’t want to… eventually,” Simon sighed. “I’m just not ready to be out. I still have to tell my parents. And eventually Nick, Leah, and Abby before I’m ready for random strangers to know.”_

_Suddenly Bram was laughing. Simon looked at him like he’d gone crazy. “I’m not ready to be out yet either. So far from it,” he promised. “When I said I want to go on a date, I meant at one of our houses. We could make dinner together and put on a movie. That’s a normal date activity. And we won’t have to argue over who pays the bill.”_

_“That sounds amazing,” Simon agreed. He leaned in and kissed Bram again. This time, their kiss was slow and soft and magic. It left Simon more breathless than their other kisses which was saying something, because it was much less intense than earlier. “We should go do that… right now.”_

_“Now? We’re on a ferris wheel,” Bram pointed out._

_“We can tell Nick you got sick so I brought you home,” Simon said breathlessly. “We can walk right out of here and go back to your place. You said your mom is gone tonight and I don’t have to be home until 1. We can order pizza or something and have it delivered for dinner. We can watch a movie, pop some popcorn, and turn off all the lights. We can pretend to watch the movie.”_

_“Can this ferris wheel move any faster?” Bram asked eagerly._

_Simon laughed. Within a few minutes, they were back on solid land. It took all of their self-control to maintain a little distance as they exited the park and went to Bram’s car. Simon had gotten a ride from Nick, which he supposed worked out really, really well._

_“Don’t move,” Bram warned as he gets out of the car. He walked towards the passenger side of the car and opened Simon’s door._

_“Thank you,” Simon said, his cheeks a little red. Bram extended his hand to Simon and helped him out of the car. “What a gentleman.”_

_That earned him a big smile from Bram. They walked up the sloped yard to Bram’s front door. Bram hesitated as he keyed in. It occurs to him that this was the first time Simon was going see his house._

_Bram pushed the door open and knew Simon was following him inside. He flicked on the light. Simon looked around curiously. This was what Bram saw every day. The foyer was a pale yellow color and there were several pictures of Bram throughout the years._

_Simon didn’t know that he needed to see a picture of Bram at five years old, showing off his missing front teeth by smiling big at the camera. He fawned over that for several minutes and caused Bram to blush and sputter. “I’m asking your mom for a copy of that one day,” Simon warned before they moved on from the foyer._

_They ordered pizza and put on a movie while they waited for it to be delivered. Simon wasn’t sure what they put on, because he was wholly distracted by Bram. He was distracted by the way Bram smiled to himself when he remembered something. He was distracted by the way that Bram glanced at him then looked away shyly when he made eye contact. He was even distracted by the way Bram looked when he was watching the movie. He watched it with the same thoughtful expression Simon had seen on his face countless times in the last day._

_“You know,” Simon said after a few minutes. “I believe there was something about pretending to watch the movie when we agreed to this date.”_

_Bram turned and grinned at him. “What did you have in mind?” he asked._

_Simon leant in slightly and gently pressed their lips together. “More of this,” he suggested._

_“Hmmm… you may be onto something,” Bram agreed. His eyes fluttered closed as they kissed in earnest._

_After a minute, the doorbell rang announcing that their food was here. Bram went to get the food and when he returned, his eyebrows practically disappeared into his hairline._

_In a matter of two minutes, Simon had transformed the living room. He put in a different movie, dimmed the lights, pulled out a thick blanket from an ottoman in the corner, and rearranged the pillows on one end of the couch. Simon had found a Yankee Candle and while it’s not lit, it’s balanced on a stack of books so it’s taller than anything else on the coffee table. He moved some stuff on the coffee table to make room for the pizza box._

_Simon was standing next to the coffee table and looked a little sheepish. “I hope you don’t mind… I just wanted to make this feel like a little more of a date. This is our first after all,” he explained._

_Bram smiled. “I think it’s perfect.” He put the pizza box down on the coffee table. Simon sat down on the couch and gestured to Bram to sit next to him. Once he did, Simon draped the blanket over them._

_He put his arm around Bram and Bram leant into his embrace. Simon pressed play on the remote. He tried to focus on the movie, but it was too hard when he would prefer to look at Bram._

_Halfway through the movie, he gently kissed Bram’s forehead.  Bram turned to look at him. “I think this is a pretty great first date,” he whispered._

_“Me too.”_

 

“That was a pretty eventful day. If a recall, that was also the first time we said ‘I love you’ and the first time we accidentally fell asleep together,” Bram says.

“And your mom was sitting on the coffee table waiting for us to wake up,” Simon adds.

“Yeah, that was some way to come out to my mom,” Bram muses.

“Oh god. That may have been the most freaking mortifying moment of my life.” Simon buries his head in Bram’s shoulder.

“Your mom once walked in on us half-naked and that’s the most mortifying moment of your life?” Bram asks skeptically.

Simon shrugs. “That was bad too,” Simon admits. “But, it wasn’t a double whammy of awkwardly coming out to our families.”

“We did have a really eventful couple of days,” Bram reflects. “But you were the one that decided to make it a double whammy.”

 

_Bram didn’t open his eyes for a minute after he woke up. He felt so peaceful. He wanted nothing more than to go back to sleep and appreciate the warmth of Simon resting next to him, but he couldn’t. He knew it must be getting close to Simon’s curfew. He was surprised they fell asleep in the first place, but he supposed kissing the way they were kissing was exhausting._

_He opened his eyes and it took him a minute to adapt to the light. He was surprised at first, because he didn’t remember ever turning the light back on. Then he was entirely distracted by someone that was sitting on the coffee table._

_“Mom?” he asked, sitting up as much as he could with the weight of Simon on his chest._

_“Is there something you want to tell me?” she asked._

_Bram elbowed Simon to try to wake him up. “Five more minutes,” Simon muttered sleepily. Bram was pretty sure he fell right back asleep and snuggled deeper into Bram’s chest. “Smell nice.”_

_Bram closed his eyes for a moment and tried to repress his mortification. Simon could not have worse timing. “Simon, wake up,” Bram urged. He shook Simon rougher than he intended to, but Simon slept on. Bram shook him again. “Simon.”_

_This time Simon stirred. He looked unbelievably happy at first. “I could get used to-”_

_“Simon, meet my mom,” Bram interrupted._

_Simon was still half asleep, but once he saw Bram’s mom, he shifted completely to the other side of the couch. “Mrs. Greenfeld. It’s… lovely to meet you?” Simon said it like a question and nothing could hide how red his face was._

_The only part of Bram that wasn’t dying of embarrassment was entirely focused on how cute Simon looked when he blushed._

_“I can explain,” Bram said hastily. “We were watching a movie and we fell asleep…” Bram’s mom looked at him expectantly. Bram sighed. Maybe it was because she practically raised him all on her own, but he’d never been able to resist her mom look. “I’m sorry. I didn’t want you to find out this way.”_

_“Find out what exactly?” She asked. Her voice was just the right balance of gentle and assertive. He knew she knew, but she wanted him to say it. He supposed he couldn’t blame her. And part of him wanted to tell her._

_“We’re gay,” Bram said, his heart beating a mile a minute. “As of yesterday, Simon and I are…” He glanced at Simon. They talked about a lot of things related to their relationship, but they hadn’t talked about titles or what they were calling themselves._

_“Boyfriends?” Simon whispered. He looked nervous as if he thought Bram didn’t want to be his boyfriend._

_“Boyfriends,” Bram confirmed, turning back to his mom. “I’m really sorry. We never meant to fall asleep last night and we never meant for you to…”_

_“Catch you?” Bram’s mom asked dryly._

_“It’s not that. We weren’t doing anything that we shouldn’t be doing. I just always figured my coming out would be… I don’t know, not this? I knew it was going to be a surprise, but I wanted it to be less of a surprise than seeing this,” Bram explained with a shrug._

_“I’ll admit it wasn’t an ideal way for you to tell me, but honey, do you really think I’m surprised?” Bram’s mom asked._

_“Wait… you knew?” Bram asked._

_“The last time I asked you if there was any girl at school you liked, you went on for almost ten minutes about how girls would be a distraction and you needed to focus on your school work. Then you ran to your room and spent 20 minutes writing an email to that young man you like so much… I’m assuming that’s you?” She asked looking at Simon._

_Simon’s mouth was wide open and he was flushed with embarrassment. Bram instantly was glaring at his mom. “How do you know about my emails?” He asked._

_“Next time you start a secret email relationship with someone, you should really remember to close your laptop when you leave for school,” his mom said with a shrug. “I found out a couple of weeks ago and I realized that’s why you’ve been so happy these last couple of months.”_

_“I’m always happy,” Bram grumbled._

_“No you’re not and you know it,” she said with a shrug. She looked between the two of them. “So… we need to have a little talk.” She launched into a sex talk. The way she talked makes Bram think she’d practiced this speech and had been ready to deliver it once he came out. She talked for nearly fifteen minutes. Fifteen long minutes. Bram had to resist the urge to laugh every time he looked at Simon. Simon was slowly retreating as far into the couch cushions as he possibly could and he got more and more red each time his mom mentioned sex or condoms. He was gotten so red, Bram was pretty sure he was comparable to a tomato or something like that. When she finally finished, neither Simon nor Bram said anything. “I imagine you have a lot to talk about. Simon, your mom called. I guess one of your friends said you were here. She wants you home.”_

_Simon groaned. He was beyond dead. He waited for Mrs. Greenfeld to walk away before he turned to Bram. “Ready to come out one more time?” He asked. Bram was going to need to drive him home regardless and if he had to witness Bram coming out, it seemed only right that Bram was with him when he came out._

_Bram looked nervous, but nodded. “Are you sure?”_

_Simon nodded. “If we’re going to be boyfriends, my family needs to know now. I can’t wait until I’m ready to be out to the world.”_

_“Okay,” Bram whispered. “Do you think we have a few minutes? I would like to change and brush my teeth before I meet your parents.”_

_“Nuh uh,” Simon said. “I didn’t get to change before your mom met me.”_

_“I would have let you change if we’d had the chance,” Bram promised._

_Simon groaned. “You can take a few minutes, but I really have to get home. My parents are going to be furious.”_

_It took Bram nearly fifteen minutes to deem himself ready to meet Simon’s parents. Simon laughed as he climbed into Bram’s car. “You’re just meeting my parents. You’re not going off to war,” Simon teased. Bram looked like every muscle in his body was tensed._

_“Easy for you to say,” Bram mutters. Then he feels bad, because he realizes Simon has the hard part. “Right. I’m sure this will go great. Have you thought about how you’re going to tell them?”_

_“I was just going to come out and say it. Why are two words so hard to get out?” Simon sighed. “I’ve thought about coming out to them so many times, but somehow I can hardly think the words ‘I’m gay’ around them.”_

_“We can always have another unauthorized sleepover,” Bram suggested as a means of breaking the tension._

_Simon chuckled. “Nice try.”_

_They were quiet until Bram pulled up to Simon’s house. “Ready?” Bram asked._

_“Not really.” Simon got out of his car anyway and Bram followed him to the front door. Simon lingered for a moment before he opened the door and walked through the threshold. He looked like he expected fire to shoot out at him or for the floor to open up to a vat of poisonous snakes._

_Simon didn’t need to call out; he knew where his parents. Sure enough, when he walked into the living room, his parents were sitting on the couch. There was nothing playing on the TV, so he knew they were waiting for him._

_He cleared his throat to announce his presence. His mom’s eyes narrowed when she saw him, then instantaneously widened when she saw Bram. “This is Bram,” Simon told her._

_“An audience won’t save you,” his mom warned._

_“That’s not why he’s here,” Simon said quietly. He was shuffling on his feet and was pretty sure his vocal cords were refusing to cooperate. “I need to tell you something.”_

_“Does this have anything to do with why you’re…” she glanced down at her watch. “Nine hours late for your curfew?”_

_“Sort of.” Simon shifted again. “So, here’s the thing…” He started. He couldn’t say it, so he tried again. “I need you to know that…” His chest seemed to constrict, cutting off any sound he was trying to make._

_He looked behind him at Bram. Bram, who was the guy he had been emailing for six months and who Simon could tell anything to. Bram, who had kissed him on top of the ferris wheel and made Simon feel like anything was possible. For Bram, Simon would do anything. Even conquer his fear of coming out. “Six months ago, I started emailing someone. We talked anonymously about a secret that we shared,” he finally said. “That secret is that we are gay. And that someone was Bram. We’re… boyfriends?” Simon didn’t mean to say it like it was a question, but he couldn’t help himself._

_His parents stared at him, clearly trying to figure out the appropriate thing to say. “So… which of your-?” His dad started to ask. Simon’s mom put her hand on his arm to silence him._

_“Simon. Bram. Take a seat.” His mom pointed at the other sofa in their living room. Simon and Bram sat down obediently. “Walk us through this.”_

_“Walk you through what?” Simon asked._

_“This whole thing. You and Bram. Your secret,” his mom said softly. “How long have you known?” He knew she was using her therapist voice. It usually bothered him, but somehow he didn’t mind so much this time. It made him feel like she wa trying to understand him rather than like she was analyzing him._

_“I think I really started to understand it when I was thirteen,” Simon admitted. “And as for Bram… that’s kind of a long story.”_

_“We’ve got time,” his mom promised._

 

“Yeah. I can think of so many better ways we could have come out,” Simon muses.

“We did the best at the time.”

“I guess so,” Simon agrees. They’re both silent for a little while as they sway in time with the music. “It’s your turn. And think of an actual little moment.”

“Why don’t you give me an example of what you consider a little moment?” Bram asks.

“Like when Ms. Knight threatened to give us an F in lunch if we skipped one more time so we could go off on a quote unquote romantic interlude. She told us she had the authority to give us a grade in lunch,” Simon says with a big smile. “Or when you broke your wrist over the summer and you were so hopped up on painkillers, you told every nurse in the hospital that I was your knight in shining armor.

“Okay.” Bram frowns as he thinks. “I think I got one,” Bram says. He looks flustered which immediately piques Simon’s curiosity. “Do you remember when we watched that scary movie when we were visiting my dad in Savannah?”

 

_“Yes Emily. He’s being a complete gentleman. Of course, we’re happy to have him. Okay, you have a wonderful night now. Buh bye.” Bram’s father hung up on Simon’s mom and handed the cell phone back to Simon. “Your mother was lovely as always.”_

_“Thanks for putting up with that Mr. Greenfeld,” Simon said. His neck was red, which was the only indication that he was embarrassed._

_“If our living situation was a little different, I would probably be the same way on his first vacation without me,” Bram’s father assured him. “And please, call me Nate.” It was quite possibly the hundredth time he had made that request of Simon._

_Simon still chose to ignore it. He thought it would take a little time before he called Bram’s father anything but Mr. Greenfeld. “Well, thanks.”_

_“Not a problem. I’ve got to help Carrie put Hanna to sleep. Don’t get in too much trouble,” he warned before he walked away._

_“Dude, your dad is so much more laid back than my parents are,” Simon mused._

_“Yeah, super laid back,” Bram said. He was holding up something that looked like a walkie talkie and it took Simon a second to recognize what it was. Bram turned it off and shook his head._

_“Did he really leave the baby monitor?” Simon questioned._

_“Yeah. You can really feel the trust.” Bram shrugged. “In any case, what do you want to do?”_

_“We could watch a movie,” Simon suggested. He was smiling suggestively at Bram. Watch a movie might as well be code for make out for a long time, because that was always what they ended up doing._

_“Okay, but I get to pick the movie,” Bram warned. They went to the living room where there was a humongous television mounted on the wall. Bram didn’t even look at the DVD that he was putting into the player. It was whatever his dad was watching before Bram came to visit._

_It ended up being a scary movie. The first time someone jumped out from behind a tree, Simon buried his head in Bram’s shirt. At first, Bram thought Simon was doing it just to cuddle with Bram, but then Simon peaked back at the TV and Bram saw legitimate fear in his eyes._

_“You know this isn’t real, right,” Bram confirmed._

_“Speak for yourself,” Simon muttered. “You’re telling me that you don’t find it the least bit scary that someone could totally dress up like a clown and kill random tourists in the middle of the woods.”_

_He hid his head again as what he just described played out on the screen._

_Bram paused the movie. He had never known that Simon would be easily scared by scary movies._

_“Well, I guess it’s a good thing that you have such an athletically inclined boyfriend. I would never let anything happen to you,” Bram promised. “And besides, this is actually just a movie. No killer clowns here in Savannah. I promise. So what do you say I unpause this. We can cuddle and kiss and completely forget that we’re supposed to be watching a movie._

_“That sounds like a plan to me,” Simon grinned._

_So that was what they did._

 

“Okay, so I think that’s my favorite all time moment. What’s yours?” Bram studies Simon curiously. He looks like he’s deep in thought.

“Honestly, everything with you is special. But, if you’re making me choose… your promposal was really epic,” Simon ponders. “That was one of my favorite dates.”

 

_“Who’s idea were promposals anyway?” Simon asked grumpily. He was watching Nick nervously thrum his fingers on the table. At the very start of their senior year, he and Bram had drawn straws to see who would have to ask the other to prom. Bram had drawn the short straw, but Simon was starting to worry that he forgot about it._

_He and Nick had been talking about promposals all day as Nick prepared for his._

_“I don’t know man, but it better be worth it. If she says no, I’ll drive and we’ll go to hunt them down,” Nick promised._

_Simon grinned “Sounds like a plan.” He knew there was not a chance in the world that Abby wouldn’t say yes._

_Nick took a deep breath. Simon watched as he climbed onto the table in the middle of the cafeteria. He knew what Nick’s plan was, but that didn’t make his secondhand embarrassment any easier. “Attention everyone. May I have your attention please?” Nick called out._

_Abby froze next to them, her eyes going wide. Simon wasn’t the only one that had been panicking over the promposals. She confessed to Simon just a few days earlier that she was worried Nick wasn’t going to ask her at all. This had prompted Simon to ask Nick about this and found out that Abby’s fears had been totally warranted. Nick had thought it was just a given that they would be going to prom together, so he had thrown together this plan in record time. It helped that the theme of prom was ‘I’ll Be Your Superhero.’_

_“My name is Nick Eisner and there is something I need to say. One year, two months, and fourteen days ago I fell in love with the most amazing girl at Creekwood High - no offense ladies. Her name is Abby Suso. Abby Suso is an incredible young woman and she deserves a goddamn superhero,” Nick said. He was smiling so big it looked painful and he was slowly unbuttoning his shirt. “Abby, if you’ll give me a chance, I’d like to be your Superman at prom this year.” Nick finally opened his shirt to reveal that he was wearing a t-shirt with a Superman logo on it. Instead of an ‘S’ at the center of the logo, there was a bright ‘N.’ Simon handed Nick the rose he was tasked with holding. “What do you say?” Nick held the rose out to Abby._

_Abby was nodding as she accepted the rose, but hadn’t managed to say anything yet. Nick jumped down off the table, helped her to her feet, and kissed her as students and teachers alike clapped around them._

_Nick and Abby both had goofy smiles on their face as they sat down at the lunch table. It took every atom in Simon’s body not to turn to Bram and ask him when he was going to get his promposal._

_In truth, Simon hadn’t expected it to matter so much to him. He was usually a little on the cynical side, but with Bram, he wanted to experience all the cliches and all the experiences that straight couples didn’t blink at. Since they had come out the year before, they felt like they were constantly being watched and judged. They couldn’t kiss in public without someone scoffing at them which had its impact on how romantic they could be together. School was a totally different story. Kids still stared, but their peers were so much more accepting of them as a couple than most people in Georgia were._

_The next day, Nick stopped Simon as he entered the building. “Did Bram ask you yet? We’ve got to go tux shopping,” Nick said. He was holding a picture of a purple prom dress in his hand._

_“Abby’s?” Simon asked, motioning towards the picture. Nick nodded and looked at Simon expectantly. Simon groaned. “No. He hasn’t asked me yet.”_

_“I’m sure he will soon,” Nick assured him._

_Simon shrugged. He wasn’t worried that he wouldn’t have someone to go to prom with, which he supposed made him luckier than most of the students in the school. He knew that he and Bram would be going together, he just didn’t know if Bram was even going to ask him. At this point, it seemed like Bram might pull up to Simon’s house, dressed in a tux and ready to whisk him away to prom. Simon wanted to be formally asked. He wanted to feel the thrill of watching an epic promposal unfold. He wanted to pretend like he needed to think about it before he says yes. He wanted it to be this perfect, romantic moment that would only deepen their connection. Simon hadn’t told Bram any of this, but that was because Bram was usually really good about knowing that he wasn’t as cynical or apathetic as he pretended to be about some things._

_Simon almost considered confronting Bram about it that night. He was spending the night at Bram’s because his mom was out of town for the weekend at some type of medical conference. It would be the opportune moment, but he knew he wouldn’t. Partly because he was still terrified of confrontation and partly because his alone time with Bram was sacred. Their parents had been extremely invasive and suffocating since they introduced each other as boyfriends, barely leaving them time to talk, much less do anything else. The worst part was their parents weren’t doing it intentionally. Bram’s mom adored Simon and Simon’s parents had once called Bram ‘the son they never had,’ which had earned a disgruntled look from Simon. This resulted in them wanting to spend time with both of them, rather than letting them go off to their own devices. And if Simon was being honest with himself, he knew part of it was because his mom got home from work early one day and walked in on him and Bram kissing one time and to someone that wasn’t involved in the kiss, it definitely looked like it was building to something more. And if Simon kept being honest with himself, despite what he had told him mom, she hadn’t been wrong._

_So Simon had no intention of even mentioning the word ‘prom’ tonight because he had much more important things on his mind. Namely taking full advantage of his alone time with Bram._

_When the bell rang, dismissing Simon, he went to his locker to wait for Bram. Practically every day since they stopped hiding their relationship at school, Bram met him at his locker. Conveniently, Bram’s last class of the day was right next to Simon’s locker, so he always got there before Simon. Simon was surprised when he got to his locker and didn’t see Bram there. He opened his locker to pack up his books and saw a small bag resting on the shelf at the top of his locker._

_He looked around curiously and when there was still no sign of Bram, he opened the bag. Inside there was a bag of mini Reese’s and a little note._

**We started on a ferris wheel**

**Our lives all ups and downs**

**But through the bad and through the good**

**You always were around**

**Simon, I’m not the best poet, but I hope I got the point across. Find your next clue where we had our first kiss. Love, Bram**

 

_Simon grinned to himself. His friends thought Bram was quiet and sometimes awkward, but Simon knew better. Bram was sweet and thoughtful and crazy romantic when he wanted to be. Simon shoved all of his stuff in his backpack and drove home. His house was on the way and he didn’t want to be lugging his school books all over Georgia, which knowing Bram, might be exactly where he was heading._

_He grabbed the bag he packed that morning. It was filled with a change of clothes and pajamas. He had feeling he wouldn’t be back._

_He continued driving until he got to the amusement park. It was right on the border of Atlanta and was about a fifteen minute drive from his house and ten minutes from Bram’s. He didn’t think Bram would make him pay to get a clue so he awkwardly lingered trying to figure out how to find it._

_“Are you Simon?” A teenage girl he didn’t recognize approached him._

_“Uh… yeah. Who are you?” Simon frowned trying to figure out how this girl knew his name._

_“Kayla. I work at the ticket counter. A guy was here before… I can’t remember his name. He showed me a picture so I’d be able to recognize you and left this,” she explained. She handed Simon a small, blue bag identical to the one that had been in his locker before._

_“Thanks.” he said with a big smile on his face. He speed-walked back to his car, eager to open the bag._

_Inside, there was another note and a mini, fake sunflower._

**Roses are red**

**Sunflowers are yellow**

**This poem is already too corny for me to handle**

**But I’ll do anything for my beau**

**Simon, Sorry I called you my beau. This is why I don’t write poems that rhyme. I hope you like the sunflower. The color yellow means enthusiasm, opportunity, spontaneous, and happiness. On our first date, I felt all of these. I was happy beyond comprehension, the entire thing was spontaneous, you gave me the opportunity to be myself and no one else, and boy was there enthusiasm. Your next clue will be where we had our first date. Our actual first date - check the mailbox. I locked the front door. Love, Bram**

_Simon was still laughing as he turned his car on. And who said romance was dead? It seemed to take forever to get to Bram’s house. It felt strange to pull up and know that Bram wasn’t there. He pulled up alongside the curb and got out to open the mailbox. He felt self-conscious as he did this, as if one of the neighbors would see him and think he was trying to steal their mail or something. He opened the mailbox to see another blue bag. Simon wondered how many bags Bram bought._

_He opened the bag. This one had a small pack of Oreos and another note._

**Yes, another clue**

**Don’t worry you’re almost done**

**There’s one more place you must go**

**Before all is said and done**

**Simon, Do you know how hard it is to rhyme with the word done? I’m sorry my poems are getting worse, but you can suck it up because I’m being VERY romantic here. You’ll find your next clue where we went on our first date after we came out. Love, Bram**

_Simon frowned as he read the clue again. Their first date after they came out had been at Simon’s house, but he wasn’t sure if Bram meant the first time they went out in public. That was technically their third date after they came out to the world._

_Simon groaned. He figured he should check home first and then go to Waffle House. He made the ten-minute drive in half the time and was grateful that there wasn’t a cop in sight._

_He checked his mailbox and when it was empty, decided to check to make sure Nora didn’t bring it in. “Simon?” His mom called when he walked in._

_“Yeah?” He asked._

_“I’ve got something for you,” his mom said. “Bram dropped it off about an hour ago.” She handed Simon another blue bag. Simon took it and went out to his car, though he was reasonably confident that she probably already peaked inside. For a therapist, she had surprisingly bad impulse control._

_Once Simon was in his car, he opened the bag. There was another note (of course) and a mixed CD. Bram had put all of their favorites on it, including their guilty pleasure songs. Simon opened the note._

**Bees go buzz**

**Something about dandelion fuzz**

**I only watched the movie one time**

**But I know you like it, so I tried**

**Simon, I can’t remember how that song goes - the one you like about summer? I hope I got it kind of close. You’ll find me at the place that feels like summer and sunshine and happiness all year long - our place. Love, Bram**

_Simon wasn’t sure his smile could get any bigger. Bram’s stepmom was under the impression that exposing Hanna, Bram’s new baby half-sister, to Disney would be beneficial to her development. One day when they had been visiting her, they all watched ‘Frozen’ together. Simon was surprised when he enjoyed it. He was even more surprised when that song got stuck in his head for over a week._

_He barely gave the clue a second thought. There was only one place they called their place. He could get there in his sleep. It was their safe haven, the one place where they could leave their worries and fears behind._

_As Simon pulled up to the park, the only other car in the parking lot was Bram’s. Simon walked the familiar path to the old oak tree. Bram was sitting on a picnic blanket set up at the base of the tree. The land started to slope down a few feet past the tree, giving them a great view of a river and the sparkling lights of the city. It was far enough away from the city that if they looked up, they could see stars sparkling through the foliage._

_They had discovered this spot about a month after the school found out they were dating. It was great to have somewhere to go when their parents were suffocating, kids were cruel, and their friends just didn’t understand. The hours they had spent under the tree watching people play frisbee, watching the sunset, and just talking to each other were Simon’s favorite moments._

_Bram heard Simon approaching and turns to smile at him. “You found it,” Bram said, his eyes lighting up._

_“Did you doubt me?” Simon asked, pretending to be insulted._

_“You’re not always the best at remembering things,” Bram pointed out._

_Simon rolled his eyes. “I remember everything about you,” he argued._

_“Fair enough. I’ll never doubt you again,” Bram said dramatically._

_“So what’s all this about?” Simon asked._

_“I wanted us to get out. Since that incident at the movies, we haven’t really gone out and I figured this was a good work around,” Bram explained. Simon frowned. They hadn’t been out since an elderly couple at the movies told them they were ruining love for ‘us normal folks’. “Plus, kids at school suck and I don’t know… coming here makes them seem insignificant.”_

_Simon sat down next to Bram. “I know what you mean.” He kissed Bram briefly before his stomach grumbled._

_“I’m guessing now is a good time to eat.” Bram chuckled. “I have to admit, I didn’t think you’d still be hungry after the Reese’s and the Oreos.”_

_“I didn’t eat them and can you really be surprised?” Simon asked. “Your mom once called me the bottomless pit that ate all the other bottomless pits.”_

_“In defense of her, you did eat all of our leftovers in one night,” Bram teased._

_“I was hungry,” Simon said defensively._

_Bram pulled over the picnic basket that had been resting on the corner of the blanket. He glanced at Simon nervously before he pulled out a plastic cup with a single rose in it. He balanced it on the ground before he went back into the picnic basket. He pulled out two battery-operated candles. They were tall and white and reminded Simon of something that he’s seen in movies during romantic candle-lit dinners. Except those were real. Simon supposed setting the park on fire would probably ruin the mood, so he understood Bram’s choice._

_Bram pulled out two sandwiches. “Sorry there’s nothing fancier,” he said apologetically. “I didn’t think anything else would hold up.”_

_“They’re perfect,” Simon assured him. As they eat, they tossed banter back and forth. Simon noticed Bram getting more and more nervous. “What’s going on?” He asked when they finish eating. “Did something happen at school today?”_

_Bram shook his head. “No. Everything’s fine. I just… I think now’s a good time for dessert.”_

_Simon put his hand over Bram’s shaky one. Now he knew something was very, very wrong. “What is wrong?” He asked again._

_“Nothing. I promise,” Bram said. “I need to get the dessert.” He pulled his hand away from Simon._

_Simon sighed. There was very little that he and Bram didn’t share. He didn’t know what he was hiding, but he had to hope that he would talk about it at some point._

_Simon began to plan how to bring it up, when his mind went blank. He stared at what Bram put in front of him, his brain not quite processing what he was seeing._

_There were five Oreos with superhero capes trailing off of them. Each cape had a different letter on it: P R O M ?_

_Simon stared so long that Bram got nervous. “What do you think?” He asked. “I know it’s not the big promposal you want, but this seemed like it was more appropriate for us.” When Simon still didn’t say anything, he went on. “I looked up how to make the Oreo cream for the capes, so it’s still technically all Oreo.” Simon was still silent. “Please, say something.”_

_But Simon didn’t say anything, because there was no words to express what he was feeling right now. So he showed Bram. He leant in and kissed him with such a passion that he was surprised fireworks didn’t spontaneously go off in between them._

_“So that’s a yes?” Bram confirmed when they broke apart._

_“Of course!” Simon glanced down at the Oreos. “Man, you are so gonna be responsible for proposing.”_

_Bram turned bright red, but smiled. They’d spoken about their future, and marriage, and kids before, so he knew that they were a long, long ways off from getting engaged. It had been a difficult adult conversation for them to have as they were talking about college and their futures, but as Simon pointed out, they had really adult feelings for each other, so they needed to talk about it like adults. “I’ll take the proposal if you promise to actually answer out loud when it happens.”_

_“Deal,” Simon said. He picked up the Oreo with a question mark on it. He looked Bram right in the eye. “There was never any question about it.” He pointedly ate the Oreo._

_“And I thought I was corny.”_

 

“Okay, let’s accept that all of our little moments are huge moments to us,” Simon says laughing. “Man, that promposal.”

“That was a pretty spectacular promposal,” Bram agrees.

“I am really lucky to have you,” Simon says. He allows his eyes to drift shut and thinks only about how perfect this moment is.

“We’re both lucky,” Bram whispers. He tilts Simon’s head so they’re looking directly into one another’s eyes. “Thanks for all the little and big moments and for being my great love story.” Bram leans in and presses his lips to Simon’s.


End file.
